Climate Denial is immoral, says head of US Episcopal Church

[LongTomH]

Cross-posted from Good Reads

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/mar/24/climate-change-denial-immoral-says-head-episcopal-church

Katharine Jefferts Schori, presiding bishop of the Episcopal church and one of the most powerful women in Christianity, said that climate change was a moral imperative akin to that of the civil rights movement. She said it was already a threat to the livelihoods and survival of people in the developing world.

“It is in that sense much like the civil rights movement in this country where we are attending to the rights of all people and the rights of the earth to continue to be a flourishing place,” Bishop Jefferts Schori said in an interview with the Guardian. “It is certainly a moral issue in terms of the impacts on the poorest and most vulnerable around the world already.”

In the same context, Jefferts Schori attached moral implications to climate denial, suggesting those who reject the underlying science of climate change were turning their backs on God’s gift of knowledge.

“Episcopalians understand the life of the mind is a gift of God and to deny the best of current knowledge is not using the gifts God has given you,” she said. “In that sense, yes, it could be understood as a moral issue.”

Now, even some evangelicals are taking up the issues of climate change as a moral issue.

[longship]

1. She has a PhD in oceanography!

Wiki: Katharine Jefferts Schori

She is also a pilot.

Pretty damned cool person.

However, I would not term the Episcopal church as evangelical.

[LongTomH]

7. I didn't mean to imply that the Episcopal church is evangelical, merely that........

.......evangelical denominations, as well as major Protestant denominations, are also on board with fighting climate change.

[hrmjustin]

10. I have met her several times and served at the altar with her.

Love her and I am sorry sue is not running for another term.

[Sherman A1]

2. It is good to see

this group and others speaking out on this critical subject.

[cbayer]

3. While there is a movement among evangelicals regarding climate change, the

episcopal church is not really evangelical.

Evangelical Climate Initiative: http://christiansandclimate.org/

The episcopal church is, OTOH, a pretty powerful group and her taking this position is outstanding.

Big round of applause for Bishop Schori:

[LongTomH]

8. Please read my response above......I didn't mean to imply that the Episcopal Church is evangelical.

[cbayer]

9. Got it. Sorry for the misunderstanding.

The more denominations and religious groups we get on board, the better, of course.

[greendog]

4. Is this the first time the Episcopal Church has said something like this?

After all, it's getting kinda late.

[okasha]

5. No.

They've been speaking out on climate change specifically and environmental justice generally for several years.

[cbayer]

6. Anyone and everyone who comes on board is totally welcome, as far as I'm concerned.

But the episcopal church is pretty progressive on environmental issues. There is also a network of evangelical denominations that have formed a coalition.

[hrmjustin]

11. No we have been talking about this for decades.

[greendog]

13. It'd be nice if the Religion writer for the Guardian...

...could provide that information in her article.

[hrmjustin]

14. Agreed!

[LiberalAndProud]

12. What did she say?

"climate change was a moral imperative akin to that of the civil rights movement"

OT nitpicking: It would be nice if editors still edited and publications still employed proofreaders. Spellcheck is an insufficient substitute.